Excalibur #13

Three commanding faces dominate this striking cover — a brooding figure in the foreground, Magneto in his distinctive purple helmet at center, and a sorcerer in blue robes and a red cape conjuring glowing pink energy above them both — making for a genuinely tense composition from penciler Aaron Lopresti and inker Tim Townsend. Labeled as a "House of M Prelude," this 2005 issue of Chris Claremont's Excalibur carries real weight heading into the third chapter of "The Devil's Own." If you're following the threads that would weave into one of Marvel's most ambitious events of that year, issue #13 is a compelling piece of the puzzle.